Perspectives on Psychological Science
Volume 14, Issue 4, 2019, Pages 619-632

Toward a Positive Psychology of Immigrants (Article)

Cobb C.L.* , Branscombe N.R. , Meca A. , Schwartz S.J. , Xie D. , Zea M.C. , Molina L.E. , Martinez C.R., Jr.
  • a Department of Psychology and Counseling, University of Central Arkansas, United States
  • b Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, United States
  • c Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, United States
  • d Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, United States
  • e Department of Psychology and Counseling, University of Central Arkansas, United States
  • f Department of Psychology, George Washington University, United States
  • g Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, United States
  • h Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership, University of Oregon, United States

Abstract

The vast majority of immigration-focused research in psychology is rooted in deficit models that center on negative health outcomes (e.g., depression, acculturative stress, anxiety, substance use), resulting in a widely held assumption that immigrants are at greater risk for pathology and poor well-being compared with native-born individuals. Moreover, current political discourse often portrays immigrants as more prone to crime compared with native-born individuals. From a positive-psychology perspective, we argue that, despite numerous migration-related challenges, many immigrant populations report positive patterns of psychological health. We also provide evidence that immigrants are, in fact, less prone to crime than their native-born counterparts. We conclude by discussing several contributing factors that account for positive immigrant well-being across the range of destination countries. Ultimately, the field should address questions regarding (a) immigrants’ strategies for coping with the challenges involved in adapting to new homelands and (b) asset-based factors that help immigrants to thrive during difficult life challenges. © The Author(s) 2019.

Author Keywords

immigrants Positive psychology Strength Adaptation Well-being

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85064602244&doi=10.1177%2f1745691619825848&partnerID=40&md5=d589b44d732cb5e19501bed85ac2d9d3
DOI: 10.1177/1745691619825848
ISSN: 17456916
Original Language: English